


Strange Inheritance

by PinkPuzzlePiece



Category: The Devil Wears Prada (2006), The Princess Diaries - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, Post-Canon, Princess Andy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-08
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2020-11-27 23:34:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20956772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PinkPuzzlePiece/pseuds/PinkPuzzlePiece
Summary: A year and a half after Paris Andy’s whole life changes when she gets a visit from her estranged grandmother. Miranda is thrown in the middle of it all when she finds Andy standing outside Elias-Clarke building. Miranda is determined to help Andy adjust to her new life.





	1. If the Crown Fits

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone and welcome to the story! This story is set in The Devil Wears Prada universe but heavy influenced by The Princess Diaries storylines. Miranda and Andy are still Miranda and Andy. I have taken creative liberty with the timeline of the story as it is set in present time. Special thank you to my amazing beta Anjumstar! Enjoy the story! -PPP

_BREAKING NEWS: We officially have royalty in our midst. Earlier today several reports came in about the Genovian royal jet landing on a private airstrip just outside Manhattan. Queen Clarisse was spotted leaving the plane along with her royal entourage. The queen is said to be residing in the royal quarters at the embassy. The reason for her visit is still unknown._

-x-x-

It’s one of those days that have too many hours and yet somehow not enough either. Andy is frantically looking for the notes she took earlier during her interview. Maybe if her desk wasn’t in such a state of chaos it would be easier to find anything. Usually, she is extremely organized especially at work, but two of her co-workers have been out sick all week which means Andy has more work than she knows what to do with. Andy just sends a silent thank you knowing that both will be back to work tomorrow.

Andy knows she still has a lot of work to get done before she can go home tonight. For many months after she started working at _The New York Mirror_ Andy had spent her nights working into the early hours at home but that’s all over now. Now she refuses to take work home if she can prevent it. Work was left at work. She has spent too much of her adult life already letting her work life bleed into her personal life.

“Andy.”

Snapping her eyes up, she finds Melanie, _The Mirror’s_ receptionist, walking towards her.

“Hi, Melanie. Sorry, deadlines,” she says motioning to the chaos that was her desk, and the other woman just gives her a reassuring smile. “How can I help?”

“Sorry, I don’t mean to pile onto the workload, but you got a message.”

That catches Andy’s attention. Afraid something bad has happened, she drops her frantic search for her notebook. She takes the small paper from the blond woman, letting out a small breath of relief when she sees that’s not from Jenny. The note only has a number written in Melanie’s swirly handwriting and below it a name.

_Charlotte Kutaway - Genovian Embassy_

“Genovian embassy?” Andy asks confusedly looking to Melanie for any more information, but she just shrugs.

“Don’t look at me. I’m just delivering the message. She only said to give her a call when you can.”

With that, the blond woman spins around, walking back to her desk hearing the phone ringing again.

Andy turns her attention to the strange message. She doesn’t know any Charlotte Kutaway.

_Why in the world would the Genovian embassy want to talk to me? _Andy asks herself as she turns the piece of paper over and over in her hands. Then it hits her. The queen is here, in New York. Maybe she has been chosen along with a select few from other newspapers and media platforms to be lucky enough to cover the queen’s visit.

Andy reaches for the old landline knocking some papers off of her desk in the process, not really caring. She quickly dials the number on the small piece of paper.

“Hello, this is Andy Sachs from _The New York Mirror_.”

-x-x-

The front door to the townhouse swings open as Miranda makes her way inside, talking—or more like barking—orders to her assistant on the other side.

“…Confirm my meeting with Nigel. Set up a showing with Avery for tomorrow at nine, and I need 30 handbags waiting in my office when I get there. Don’t bore me with your questions, just do your job.”

Miranda disconnects the call with an annoyed huff. It seems like these assistants keep getting dumber each year. What she wouldn’t give to have someone just do their job without looking for a gold star every time they were able to fetch.

After putting her coat and purse in the closet, she goes into her kitchen. Contrary to popular belief, she does not have a chef and maid waiting on her every beck and call. She is a grown woman and she can make her own bed and her own food. It’s also something she wishes to teach her daughters. Just because they have the means doesn’t mean they must grow up to be ungrateful humans who expect the world to do everything for them. If it weren’t for her hectic work schedule she would be sure she wouldn’t need a maid at all.

Opening the fridge door, she looks around the well-organized shelves and pulls out the ingredients she will need to make herself a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich. Quickly getting to work she makes fast work of the sandwich. She isn’t usually in the habit of making unhealthy meals filled with carbs. But her girls are visiting their grandmother and she is still a human, after all, who enjoys the occasional comfort food.

After finishing her meal at the counter she loads the dishwasher and heads up to her study. She has a mountain of emails to get through before the _Book_ arrives. The work of the editor in chief never ends.

Miranda has just finished going through her emails and is busy pouring herself a shot of scotch when she hears the tell-tell sound of her assistant delivering her dry cleaning and the _Book_. Just as quickly as she arrives, she is gone again leaving Miranda alone in the big townhouse.

It’s not always like this—this quiet. Most of the time, the house is filled with the laughter and banter of the twins. Almost twelve now, the girls have started the phase of giggling and listening to loud pop music while they sang along at the top of their lungs. Most everyone would think that Miranda would never allow such shenanigans in her home, but actually the opposite is true. She has always believed that a home should be exactly that: a home. She wants her girls to feel like they can be free and themselves when they are here.

At work, she was Miranda ‘never a hair out of place’ Priestly, the editor in chief of one of the biggest fashion magazines and she acted like it. She always has her finger on the pulse of things, making sure everything runs perfectly. But at home alone with her girls, she’s just Miranda Priestly, mom and woman who would do anything for her family and secretly eats grilled cheese sandwiches.

Not many people are allowed to see this side of her. Stephan, her ex-husband, could never see the difference between the two; he always just saw the same Miranda the rest of the world saw. Maybe that was a good thing, since every trace of him is long gone from her home and life. Even the tan line of her wedding ring has faded away over time.

Taking a large sip from her tumbler, Miranda goes down the stairs to fetch the _Book_ and see what disasters her incompetent employees have come up with today.

_Why is it so hard for people to do their jobs correctly? Maybe they are all idiots, or colorblind? _Miranda asks herself as she opens the _Book_ and letting out an annoyed huff.

_No, definitely idiots._

It’s the early morning hours when Miranda finally makes her way to her bedroom ready to turn in for the night. The _Book _had a lot more problems than she’d anticipated; she will make sure they all know just exactly how disappointed she is when she gets to work.

After finishing her nightly routine of removing her make-up, applying all her little wonder creams, brushing her teeth, removing her rings, earrings, the small silver chain around her wrist and slipping into her nightgown, it is finally time for bed. A satisfying sigh leaves her lips as she dissolves into the soft sheets of her king-size bed, the stress of the day melting from her body.

The deafening silence of the empty house seems to only get louder in the darkness of her bedroom. Grabbing the television remote, she turns on the large screen on the opposite wall. She turns the volume down low, just loud enough to create a soft buzz.

A small whine from the foot of the bed catches her attention, and looking down she sees two large, brown eyes looking sadly up at her.

“Patricia, no.”

Miranda warns the large dog who has now placed one fluffy paw on her expensive covers.

“You have a perfectly decent bed you can sleep in. It cost more than most human beds.”

Another whine.

“Fine,” Miranda relents.

Not needing to be asked twice, the large St. Bernard leaps onto the bed, spinning around once, then snuggling down next to Miranda. Almost instinctively, a well-manicured hand finds its way into the soft fur of the oversized dog, petting the soft strands rhythmically.

Turning her attention back to the television that’s tuned to some celebrity cooking show, a guilty pleasure of hers, she watches how to make the perfect Thanksgiving dinner. Somewhere between the cranberry sauce and sweet potato pie, she drifts off to sleep.

-x-x-

Andy fidgets nervously with the press badge hanging around her neck as she waits in the foyer of the Genovian embassy. She didn’t get much sleep the previous night, too nervous about actually meeting a royal. Somehow, she found herself on YouTube, watching videos on how to act in the company of a queen.

She changed her outfit ten times this morning, wanting to make sure she looks her best. Finally, she settled on a designer outfit she bought during her time at _Runway_; she distinctly remembers Miranda’s approving nod when she saw her in the outfit. So, with the stamp of approval from the queen of fashion, she is sure it’s acceptable for an actual queen.

“Andrea Sachs?”

Andy turns to see a very elegantly lady coming down the stairs holding an iPad in her hand and a Bluetooth earpiece.

“Hello, I’m Charlotte Kutaway. We spoke on the phone.”

“Yes, of course. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Andy shakes the offered hand.

“The queen has arranged for tea to be served in the gardens. She will meet you there.”

Andy nods and follows Charlotte out to the gardens. It really was a lovely garden it even had a large fountain in the middle. The guards dressed in their all black uniforms a stark contrast to the beautiful colorful flora surrounding them. Rounding the hedge of roses they come to a beautifully set table complete with the finest china and delicate pastries.

There, seated at the table, is the queen in all her royal glory. When she spots them approaching, she stands and gives a warm smile, making Andy feel a little flustered under her gaze.

“Your majesty, may I present to you Andrea Sachs,” Charlotte introduces.

Andy gives a small bow of her head to the queen. She knows as the queen is not her queen she doesn’t have to bow or curtsy, but Andy still wants to show her respect.

“Your majesty, it’s an honor to meet you, and thank you for awarding me this time.”

“Andrea, the pleasure is mine. Please have a seat.”

Andy waits for the queen to sit before sitting down as well, grateful she learned at least something from the many videos she watched last night. She places her messenger bag on the ground next to her chair.

The Queen starts to pour them each a cup of tea. Accepting it with thanks, Andy takes out her notepad and pen, placing them next to her cup, ready to make notes when needed. She sees the queen watching her curiously but doesn’t comment on it.

After taking a sip from the delicious tea, Andy gives a large smile and starts with her well-prepared questions.

“Your majesty, care to share why you are paying New York a surprise visit?”

The Queen watches her a moment before replying.

“I am here on official royal business. I have been putting it off for far too long already.”

“Would this business have anything to do with the UN summit being held here next week?”

Andy picks up her pen ready to write down the Queen’s reply.

“I will indeed be attending the summit but it’s not the sole reason for my visit.”

That piques Andy’s interest. So the queen has secret business to attend to in the city.

“This business-“

“Andrea,” the Queen interrupts her, raising her hand before she can ask her next question. “I apologize for interrupting you. But it seems you are under some misconception about our meeting.”

Now Andy is really confused. The Queen is looking at her intently like there is something Andy is not getting.

“Andrea, do you know who I am?”

“Of course. You are Queen Clarisse Renaldi, the reigning monarch of Genovia.”

“That’s true but it’s not what I am referring to.”

Andy just furrows her brow in complete confusion. The Queen folds her hands neatly on her lap looking Andy directly in the eye.

“I am the queen yes, but I am also a mother and a grandmother.”

Andy nods and waits patiently for her to continue. Seeing that the young woman still has no idea what she is talking about, the Queen continues.

“Your full name is Andrea Mignonette Sachs Renaldi…Princess of Genovia.”

Andy’s jaw falls open and her eyes grow huge.

“What?” she asks, her voice barely a whisper.

“Your father—biological father—Philippe, was my son.”

“I’m sorry I—What?”

“Andrea, I know this must be a big shock. Heaven knows I have imagined this moment so many times over the years. I must admit, pictures really do not do you justice.”

The queen smiles fondly at the young woman who still hasn’t moved; only her eyes are moving frantically across the queen’s face.

“Andrea?” The queen asks concerned.

Hearing her name snaps Andy out of her trance.

“No, no, no, no.” Andy starts to stand from her chair on shaky legs but needs to be on her feet.

The queen stands as well, looking very concerned. She can see the fight happening behind the young woman’s eyes, trying to make sense of what she just learned.

“I don’t mean any disrespect, your majesty, but there is no way that I am your granddaughter, that’s just not possible.”

“But it is, Andrea. You remind me so much of your father. You have his eyes.”

“You had to have made a mistake or its just some freaky coincidence. My father died when I was five months old. I’m sure there is a really nice girl out there somewhere with the same name waiting to be your princess. But I’m not her.”

Andy bends down, picking up her messenger bag from next to her chair, slinging it carelessly over her shoulder.

“Andrea, why do you think I called you here today?”

“To do an interview on why you are visiting the United States because that’s what I do—I’m a journalist.” Andy emphases her point by holding up the press badge around her neck. “I’m a journalist, I’m not a…a princess.”

“Andrea, please listen to me.”

Andy steps away from the table, holding onto her messenger bag like a lifeline as she starts to move slowly backward.

“Thank you for the tea and your time, your majesty, but I have to go. I’m sorry.”

With that Andy bolts, her fight or flight kicking into full gear as she storms past the guards and a confused-looking Charlotte. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she registers that she just rudely ran away from a Queen; there is probably a never-ending list of ethical rules she just broke. But at this moment, she just doesn’t have it in her to care about any of that. All she cares about is getting as far away from this place as possible.

-x-x-

Miranda is sitting at her desk, going over the latest budget approvals from Irv. That little man really has a complex and is currently taking it out on her magazine. She knows better than anyone just how much money she makes for this company on a monthly basis. Their sales climbed yet again last month and that hobbit has the nerve to try and cut her budget. Oh, this will not do at all.

Miranda scoffs. She is sure her twins have a better idea of how a successful business works then that midlife crisis does.

Miranda gives a small smile thinking about the twins. They sent her photos earlier and said what a great time they’re having at their grandma’s house. As long as they’re happy, she’s happy, but what really warmed her heart was the last message they sent saying how excited they are to see her when they get back on Saturday. Her girls missed her. Not nearly as much she misses them every minute of every day.

She is pulled back to the present with her new second assistant stumbling into her office dropping handbags as far she walks. Miranda just orders her to place them on the table in the corner before she rips any of them.

“That’s all.” Miranda shoos the girl and watches her scurry away like Miranda has poured boiling water over her.

“Looks like someone is having a marvelous day.”

Miranda lets out an annoyed huff at her art director before taking the offered folder he is holding out to her as he takes a seat on the chair in front of her desk.

“I’m surrounded by incompetence.”

“I guess it’s to be expected if you have ridiculously high standards.”

“I only strive for perfection, is that too much to ask?”

Nigel just smirks at her making her roll her eyes at him. The bold man is one of the few people who has been able to see past her editor in chief persona to see there is an actual human being behind the dragon. Sure, they have had their many shares of bumps over the years, especially after the whole Holt business eighteen months ago.

Nigel was hurt, even if he understood her reasoning behind it. He never said anything to her, but she could see it clearly in his eyes. It hurt her knowing one of her oldest and dearest friends felt betrayed by her. It was only after she told him in no uncertain terms that she wasn’t going to let Jacqueline come in and take the job she has spent years training him to have one day that he really understood what Miranda’s end game was.

“Oh, did you see that Queen Clarisse is in town?”

“Yes, but I’m not going to join in some celebrity gossip around the water cooler,” Miranda says coolly as she looks carefully over the images in the folder.

“We are not gossiping. We are talking about news events like the responsible adults we are.”

“We don’t talk about news events,” Miranda says matter-of-factly.

“Fashion news events then, royal fashion,” he says smugly.

“I have always found the queen’s fashion choices acceptable.”

“That’s because she has an army of stylists to make sure she always looks acceptable.”

Miranda just hums in agreement.

“I heard a rumor.”

“Of course you did.” The only thing her staff likes to do more than come up with ridiculous nicknames for her is to gossip like a bunch of school girls.

“Do you want to know what I heard?”

“No, but I assume you are going to tell me anyway.”

Nigel just ignores her tone and jumps happily into his story.

“Rumor has it the queen is here in our humble little country looking for the next heir to the Genovian throne.”

Miranda actually snorts at this never having heard anything this ridiculous.

“Do these gossipers realize that Queens isn’t named for its royal exports?” Miranda asks rather amused.

“Hey! It could be true. Who knows maybe one of her sons had an illegitimate child no one knows about? Or some distant cousin surfaced or even-“

“Nigel, this isn’t a Hollywood movie. There isn’t some poor guy or girl out there on the streets of New York who unknowingly is some lost prince or princess. This is real life and in real life, people don’t hand out countries like free ice cream samples.”

Nigel huffs annoyed that Miranda wants to bring logic into his perfectly juicy story. But then he remembers something and perks back up.

“Hey, maybe Andy can give as the scoop?” Nigel says, enjoying his own pun more than he probably should. “I received a very exciting message from her yesterday saying she was able to land an interview with the queen.”

Miranda’s demeanor changes immediately. it's subtle and easily missed if one don’t know what to look for. But Nigel, fortunately, does. He knows what every micro expression of the editor means. This one he has seen a few times before, whenever someone mentioned the journalist’s name.

Miranda knows that Nigel and her ex-second assistant have been keeping in contact since she walked out on her. Apparently, they had formed some sort of friendship during her time at _Runway._ Miranda believes it had something to do with Nigel waving his magic wand zapping her out of her clogs and into Jimmy Choos.

Over the months, she has heard him talk to Emily and Serena about Andy and, on a very rare occasion, he would drop some titbit of information to her directly as he did now. Their little gossip sessions had taught her that Andrea was hired at _The New York Mirror_ as a junior journalist shortly after her departure from _Runway._ Miranda likes to think that she had a little something to do with that.

Not too long after that, she heard them talking yet again, but this time it was about Andrea’s ex-boyfriend _Nate_ who wanted to reconcile things between them, but something had happened to send him running to the other side of the country and her so-called friends had taken his side and left her alone and friendless.

This, Miranda believes, led Andrea to get a small animal, most likely a dog, named Emma, if she is not mistaken. At least, that’s how it sounded to her listening to the muted pieces of their conversations. Miranda could relate to that; there are some benefits to having another breathing being in the house.

Needless to say, Miranda’s feelings towards her ex-employee are _complicated._

“If Andrea is doing an interview with the queen, let’s hope she hasn’t forgotten everything she learned in a brief time here and dressed appropriately. The last thing we need is the Queen to think that all women in New York wear those hideous cerulean blue sweaters.”

Nigel just hums in agreement. He knows he hit a nerve broaching the subject of Andy.

“So, what time do we have to be at the photoshoot today?” he asks, changing the subject.

“Do I look like your assistant?” Miranda says, annoyed but answers anyway. “We must be there at twelve. That’s all.”

-x-x-

The doors to the Elias-Clarke building swing open as Miranda walks outside with determined strides. The meeting went on longer then she planned and now she is late for her next appointment. Looking around, already highly annoyed, she tries to see where Roy is with the car. She doesn’t have time to waste standing around until he decides to finally make his appearance.

Casting her gaze up and down the street, she can feel herself getting more and more irritated by the second. Pulling out her phone, ready to strangle the man, her eyes catch something unexpected.

Across the busy street between the throngs of people rushing up and down the sidewalk stands Andrea. She isn’t moving with the sea of people but standing still likes a statue staring up at the Elias-Clarke building towering over everyone. Her arms are crossed over her torso hugging herself tightly. Even from so far away, Miranda can see the frown lines between her brows.

This isn’t the first time she has seen Andrea since her abrupt exit, leaving Miranda alone on a sidewalk in Paris. Since that day, she has seen the other woman three separate times.

The first time was very similar to this one. Andrea was standing on the other side of the road and Miranda was waiting for her driver. Andy gave her a smile and an awkward wave. Miranda, of course, ignored the younger woman climbing into the car.

The second time was at a charity event a few months later. Andrea was amongst the journalists covering the event but Miranda spotted her immediately. They didn’t speak but Miranda is sure she felt brown eyes on her the entire night.

The third time, however, Miranda isn’t even sure really happened. She was standing in her office, gazing out of the large glass windows when she saw a familiar silhouette running down the sidewalk in the pouring rain, dodging other pedestrians. Sure, she was rather far away and Miranda could have just seen any random, tall, brunette woman running through the streets of New York but Miranda just knew.

Now here she is, the fourth time seeing the woman making a whirlwind of emotions whirl inside of her. But this time feels different; Andrea looks different. All three other times she was smiling, even if it was just with her eyes and not her warm, full magic smile. Even running in the rain she looked content, but this Andrea looked like a shell to all the others. She looked… troubled…lost.

The black town car stops in front of her and Roy quickly jumps out, opening the door for Miranda.

“My apologies, Miranda,” he says, not going into a long drawn out explanation for his tardiness, knowing Miranda won’t care and it will only annoy her more.

Miranda slips wordlessly into the backseat. Once she is safely inside, her eyes find the woman outside again.

“Ready to go?” Roy asks from his place behind the wheel, locking eyes with his boss in the rear-view mirror.

-x-x-

Andy has no idea how long she has been walking around the city. After leaving the embassy she just kept walking and walking, not really caring where she was going, just needing to get as far away as possible from that place. She has been wandering the streets aimlessly for what feels like hours. Somehow along the way, she found herself here on 49th Street looking up a building that was the center of her world for almost a year.

Andy is aware that she is standing still in the middle of the busy sidewalk but she couldn’t bring herself to care. Because at this moment the world is upside down and topsy-turvy.

If you asked her yesterday she could have told you exactly who she was and where she saw herself ten years from now, even down to what school her children would attend. But now all that has been tossed out the window along with everything she thought she knew about who she thought she was.

“Andy?”

Someone saying her name makes her snap back to reality. Looking to her left she finds a familiar face.

“Roy?” she asks disbelievingly. The man just gives her a warm smile. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, as it happens, my boss works in the building over there you’ve been staring at,” he says with a hint of amusement, making Andy blush.

“Oh, yes, of course.” She forgot she was in Roy’s neck of the woods. Looking back across the street, she sees the all too familiar black Mercedes parked in front of the entrance to the Elias-Clarke building.

Swallowing nervously, she is almost positive she can feel ice blue eyes looking at her through the blacked-out windows in the back seat. She hasn’t spoken to her former boss since she quit. After she got the job at _The Mirror_ and hearing that Miranda had given Andy the best recommendation she could have ever asked for, Andy wanted to let the older woman know she was sorry for walking out the way she did and thank her. So, Andy had sent her a small token of her gratitude. She doesn’t even know if Miranda ever received it, but she hopes she did and understands that Andy would not have made it this far if it weren’t for that infuriating woman even, if she would never in her life admit to having helped Andy in any way.

Roy softly touches her arm, having seen her lost in thoughts again, and motions to the waiting car.

“Care to follow me?”

Andy nods, knowing that it wasn’t really a question. She follows him carefully across the busy street, every step making her heart beat a little faster. Once they are safely on the other side, Roy opens the door for her. Giving him a silent thanks, Andy slides into the car.

When the door clicks closed next to her, Andy lets out a shaky breath before slowly turning to face the woman next to her.

_Miranda Priestly._

She looks even better than Andy remembers; if anyone would be immune to the effects of time, it would be her.

“Hi,” Andy says with what she hopes is her best and brightest smile.

“Hello, Andrea.”

Miranda’s voice was soft and soothing without the commanding edge it had whenever she gave Andy a new list of impossible tasks to perform. This, more than anything, puzzled Andy. She was sure _if _Miranda ever talked to her again, her voice would be dripping with anger and disgust.

Looking back now Andy knows there are about a million different ways she could have handled the whole walking out in Paris situation better.

A throat clearing catches her attention, and the way Miranda looks at her expectantly tells Andy she must have asked a question while she was miles away.

“Sorry, I’ve had a day.” Andy lets out a nervous laugh, playing with the strap of her messenger bag on her lap.

“I asked if you are alright, but I guess you just answered my question.”

“I’m sorry, I just have a lot on my mind.” Miranda nods and Andy can’t help herself from continuing, “It’s nice to see you again Miranda.”

“Yes, it’s been a while.”

To that, Andy just nods. Not really knowing how to reply, she turns her head to the window watching the city move past them. Strangely, she doesn’t feel the fear she expected, but instead feels rather content.

“Andrea-“ Her name is said so softly filled with worry that Andy has to close her eyes for a moment as it vibrates through her. 

Andy lets out a sigh, not taking her eyes away from the window. She doesn’t know what it is—maybe it was the way Miranda said her name—that breaks down all the walls Andy had built so carefully.

“I met my grandmother earlier today,” Andy says softly.

Miranda doesn’t react–she just waits patiently for Andy to continue. Which is something very un-Miranda like; she is probably the least patient person Andy has ever met. Yet, surprisingly, this is not the strangest thing to happen to her today, so she pushes on needing to get it out.

“She is my biological dad’s mother. I always knew she was some rich old lady living somewhere in Europe but for some reason, people chose to leave out the part where she is a _queen_.”

Andy hears the almost inaudible gasp of the woman next to her.

“Queen Clarisse Renaldi is my grandmother.” Andy lets out a humorless laugh. “How messed up is that?”

Andy finally moves her eyes away from the window to look at her companion. Miranda is looking back at her, all evidence of her shock now replaced by her normal emotionless mask. But there is something flickering across her eyes that Andy can’t place.

“You never suspected anything about your heritage?” Miranda asks carefully like saying the wrong thing might set Andy off.

“My dad died when I was a few months old. I only ever had a few grainy, old pictures of him. My mom never spoke about his family, and by the time I was six I had a new stepdad. I never bothered to ask,” Andy says with a shrug.

“Did she tell you why she sought you out now after all these years?”

Andy has been wondering the same thing all day.

“No, she didn’t. I wasn’t really thinking straight. After she told me who she was I sort of ran away.” Andy runs her hand through her hair. “I know it wasn’t the mature thing to do but I-“ She trails off, not sure how to finish her sentence.

“You were in shock. It’s perfectly understandable, actually.”

Andy gives Miranda a small, grateful smile. She knows she was wide open for one of the woman’s signature snide remarks.

“I have never even been to Genovia. I’ve only ever seen it in movies and photos.” Andy bites her lip.

“I have been there once. It is a very beautiful country and the people are all very polite.”

Andy nods absentmindedly.

“You know, it’s my birthday next month…I was hoping to get a new coffee maker, not a country.”

Miranda doesn’t reply but Andy swears she saw the editor’s hand twitch on the seat between them. After that, Andy doesn’t feel like there’s anything more to say so they just sit in silence until Miranda breaks it a few minutes later.

“Andrea, would you like to join me or would you prefer to stay in the car?”

Andy looks at her, confused, only to realize that the car has stopped.

“Oh my goodness, you’re working,” Andy says, embarrassed by having completely forgotten that the other woman was most likely on her way to an appointment when Andy tagged along.

“Andrea, seriously, you know how much I detest being late.”

Just like that, the editor in chief mask is back on as Miranda climbs out the open door without looking back. Andy knows there’s no way she’s going to be sitting inside a stuffy car for what could possibly be hours.

“I guess I’m coming along then,” Andy says to herself, rather amused as she follows the other woman out of the car.

Falling in step behind Miranda, Andy can’t help but smile at how easily she falls back into old habits. They walk into what looks to Andy like a botanical garden that is closed to the public at the moment. Photo shoot, most likely, Andy guesses.

After some walking, they come to where the photo shoot has been set up. People are hurrying around them. A young girl quickly makes her way over to Miranda and starts rambling off a checklist. _She must be the new assistant,_ Andy concludes.

Andy decides to hang back out of the way of everyone. She knows firsthand how crazy people working at these shoots can get. It’s strange how everything has changed and yet stayed exactly the same.

“Six!” Andy spins around, finding Nigel making his way over to her looking surprised. “What on Earth are you doing here?”

He pulls her into a quick hug, kissing her cheek.

“Honestly, I have no idea.” He looks at her confused and she waves him off. “Long story short, I’m here with Miranda.”

“What?”

“I know, right?” Andy says with a chuckle, knowing how crazy that sounds.

“Wait, does mean she finally caved and begged you to take your old job back?”

“Sorry to disappoint but no, nothing like that.”

“Come on, Andy. Come back to us. Back to me.” Andy can’t help but laugh at his pout; she and Nigel have this conversation every time _Runway _comes up.

“I’m sorry, Nigel, but you know I love my job. You will just have to find you a new fashionably challenged girl to take under your wing.”

“Speaking of.” He motions with his hand for her to turn around so he can inspect her outfit.

With an amused chuckle, Andy obliges and turns slowly around.

“Vintage, but you make it work.” he says with an approving nod. “Oh, your interview with the queen was this morning. How did that go? Come on, I want all the juicy details.”

“Yeah, that’s not going to happen,” she says patting him on his shoulder before turning on her heels and walking off.

“Why not, Six? Come on, you know I won’t tell anyone,” he calls after her, but she just waves him off.

-x-x-

After some hours, Miranda is finally happy enough to call the photo shoot a success. She couldn’t help but take secret glances at her unplanned companion throughout the shoot. Miranda knows she made the right decision to bring Andrea along; a few hours of distraction is just what she needed. Even if tomorrow morning when Andrea wakes up, all of her worries will still be there. But for now, Miranda can distract her the best way she knows how.

She knows Andy was well-respected and liked during her time at _Runway_, so every time Miranda would look over to her she found her happily engaged with someone else chatting away. Right now it was Serena. Miranda could faintly hear Andy’s laugh as Serena told her particularly funny story. She is pretty sure Andy would still be standing outside Elias-Clarke if she hadn’t sent Roy to fetch her.

“I see you picked up a stray.” Miranda turns around, seeing a smiling Nigel, who motions towards Andy, now showing Serena something on her phone.

“Yes, it appears I have.”

Nigel tilts his head, studying the older woman.

“Nigel, is there something I can help you with?”

“What’s going on, Miranda?”

“I have no idea what you are referring to,” Miranda says starting to walk towards the other two women.

Nigel places his hand the woman’s arm, bringing her to a stop. Miranda looks at him with a raised eyebrow and he quickly takes his hand away. He knows he is about to overstep at least a dozen Miranda rules, but Andy is his friend and after everything she has been through, he just needs to make sure she is alright. And for her to show up with Miranda, something has definitely happened.

“Miranda, please,” he says pleadingly.

Miranda sighs. She knows Nigel is just a concerned friend

“It’s not my place to say anything.”

“Then just answer me this: do I need to be worried?”

Miranda looks at Andy as she smiles, happily talking to Serena, still completely engrossed with something on her phone.

“No. She needs time but she will be alright.”

That’s enough for him, he knows Miranda’s relationship with Andy is strange at best, but he knows she would never lie.

As they walk closer, Andy spots them first and she gives them - well Miranda a big smile. That’s enough for Nigel to know whatever it is that is going on with Andy, Miranda seems to have it under control.

“Hi,” Andy says when they reach her.

“I see my people have kept you fairly entertained throughout your visit.”

“Oh, yeah, it’s so nice to see everyone again,” Andy says bumping, Serena with her shoulder.

“It was lovely seeing you too, Andy. I hope we get to do it again soon.” Serena pulls her into a hug before going back to help everyone pack up.

“You all finished?” Andy asks looking between Nigel and Miranda.

“Yes, we are. Are you ready to go?”

Andy nods and then follows Miranda back to a waiting Roy at the car, Nigel not far behind them.

When they get to the car, Roy opens the door and Miranda quickly slides in, but before Andy can follow her, Nigel pulls her into a hug.

“We really should get together soon. I’m sure we have a lot of gossip to catch up on.”

“You have no idea,” Andy says, exhaling loudly.

“Take care of yourself, Andy. And I haven’t received any pictures of Emma in weeks. Shame on you, she is probably huge by now.”

“I’m sorry, Nigel. I’ll make sure to send you more pictures.” With a last wave, Andy follows Miranda into the car.

Once they are back in the car, moving through the streets again, Andy looks at the woman next to her. Miranda is something else. Not only is she a force to be reckoned with by dominating a man’s world, but man, did she look absolutely gorgeous doing it. Andy forgot how much she enjoyed watching Miranda in her element; it’s like Miranda can see the diamond in the hunk of coal. Slowly she starts chipping away until its true beauty is finally revealed for everyone to marvel at. Now, sitting in a car with her for the first time after a year and a half, Andy realizes just how much she has missed being in this magnificent woman’s presence.

Andy knows Miranda had every reason to leave her standing alone out there on the sidewalk, just like how Andy did to her that fateful day. But Miranda didn’t, she had shown up like a magical being in her time of need and whisked Andy away out of her troubled thoughts, even if it was just for an afternoon.

“Why were you standing outside my building, Andrea?” Miranda breaks the comfortable silence that settled between them.

“You know it’s not actually your building?” Andy asks with a hint of amusement.

“I beg to differ,” Miranda replies smugly.

Andy chuckles lightly. Of course, Miranda would believe that it’s her building, and Andy sure believed it too. Andy decides to answer honestly.

“I don’t know. I was just walking around the city. I needed to clear my mind and find something to ground me. Next thing I know, I’m staring up at your building.”

“Did you find what you were looking for?”

Andy looks at Miranda for a long moment, those blues watching her carefully. Sure, she had one hell of a day and her life was far from settling down anytime soon. But right now, at this moment, Andy was okay.

“I believe I did,” Andy says with a content smile.

“I have work I need to finish back at the office.” Andy knows this is Miranda’s strange Miranda-like way of asking if she wanted to join her or if she was ready to go home.

“Thank you, Miranda, but I think I’m ready to head home now.”

Miranda just nods and orders Roy to drop Andy off on their way to the office.

“Miranda?”

Miranda turns to look at Andy again but suddenly there were soft lips pressing to her cheek.

“Thank you,” Andy says, her eyes shining with gratitude.

“I don’t know what you are revering to,” Miranda says, looking away, but there is a slight redness to her cheek.

“Thank you anyway.”

The car comes to a stop in front of Andy’s apartment building.

“Well, this is me,” Andy says, looking at building outside. “Goodbye, Miranda.”

“Goodbye, Andrea.”

With one last smile to the older woman, Andy steps out of the car. She waits on the sidewalk until the black car has disappeared into the sea of vehicles before she makes her way inside the building.

Andy opens her front door to find the apartment quiet, only the soft murmur of the TV can be heard. Making her way into the living room, Andy sees the blond woman lying on the couch with a bowl of popcorn on her stomach watching some movie on the TV. Andy places her bag onto the counter, the noise alerting the other woman to Andy’s presence.

“Hey, you’re back,” she says sitting up and turning off the TV.

“I’m sorry, I had no idea I would be out this long.”

“Don’t worry about,” she says waving it off as she stands up. “So, how did it go? Was the queen nice?”

“That’s a conversation for another time. Hopefully with a lot of alcohol.” Andy moves into the kitchen, grabbing herself a glass of water.

“That bad, huh?”

Andy nods around her glass before changing the subject.

“Oh, guess who I ran into? Miranda Priestly.”

“What? You faced your ex-boss and lived to tell about it, damn.”

Jenny looks at her with wide eyes, having heard some of the many horror stories Andy told about the Dragon Lady she used to work for.

“More than that, she actually really helped me out today, in a very Miranda way, but it helped,” Andy says, thoughtfully playing with the glass between her hands. The blond woman stops in front of Andy, studying her, not sure what Andy could be talking about. Andy seems to snap out of her thoughts, placing her glass in the sink.

“I take it Emma is napping.”

“Yeah, we had a very eventful day. We ate and played. She likes that new ball with the lights a lot.”

“Thank you again for watching her on such short notice, Jenny.”

“It’s no problem, you know I’ll do it anytime. She is just so damn cute.”

“Yeah, she is pretty cute,” Andy says with an affectionate smile.

“Anyway, I better head back home.”

“Thank you, again.”

“Stop saying that.”

With that, Jenny walks out of the apartment and Andy can’t help but smile at her eccentric neighbor. The young woman has saved her butt more than a few times. Andy lets out a big yawn as the exhaustion of the day’s events finally hits her. She would love nothing more than to fall into her bed and just sleep for days, but she knows there is no way that will happen.

Walking past her bedroom, Andy slowly opens the door to the room next to hers. She tiptoes carefully across the soft carpet, making extra sure not to step on any scattered toys. Andy stops at the crib, smiling down at her sleeping daughter. She looks so peaceful snoozing away, her little chest moving up and down, completely carefree. Andy gently runs her fingertips across her forehead brushing her short strawberry blond hairs from her face.

Big brown eyes blink open at her, then Andy is awarded by a big smile.

“Hey, baby girl. Did you have a nice nap?”

“Ma-ma.” She holds up her arms and Andy quickly lifts her up and into her arms, kissing her all over her face, earning her the cutest giggles.

“Did you have fun with Jenny?” Andy asks, setting to work on changing the nine-month-old’s diaper. Emma happily babbles away playing with the giraffe attached to her pacifier as Andy puts on the fresh diaper.

“I’m glad you had a good day, because mommy had a very unexpected day.”

Andy lets her stand up on the changing table. keeping her hands securely on her so she won’t topple over. The height of the changing table bringing them almost eye to eye.

“But we are going to be alright, aren’t we, Emma?”

Emma reaches a chubby hand out, patting her mommy on the cheek.

“Yeah, we are going to be just fine,” Andy says confidently, looking happily at her smiling little girl.


	2. Little White Lies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the love the first chapter received! The response has been absolutely surreal! Thank you to everyone who took the time to comment and give this story some love. Now onward to the next chapter!

Andy’s fingers fly over the keys on her laptop is the only sound that can be heard in the quiet apartment. The sun is just starting to peek out over the city, but Andy has been awake for what feels like hours already. After a rather restless night, her mind finding the need to reply every second and analyzing every small detail of the previous day, Andy decided to get a head start on her work, playing hooky yesterday after meeting the Queen Andy knows her boss was not happy with her.

Hopefully getting a head start on her articles will help butter him up some. It also helps to keep her mind busy. With a few final touches, Andy saves her work and closes her laptop. She has done as much as she could without her notes that are on her desk and her missing notebook.

Getting up from her desk she checks on Emma who is sleeping in Andy’s bed, pillows placed all around her to make sure she doesn’t roll off the bed accidentally. Once she was sure Emma was still fast asleep Andy slips into the bathroom to get ready for her day.

Andy quickly jumps in the shower letting the warm water wake up her tired and aching body. After her shower, she continues with her morning routine. She brushes her teeth, styles her hair, does her makeup before slipping on a mismatching set of bra and panties. Since becoming a parent, she has learned how to do things efficiently and as fast humanly possible.

Andy lets out a happy sigh when she walks out of the bathroom to see that Emma hadn’t moved. She makes her way over to her closet throwing on a white blouse and doing up most of the buttons, next is a pair of light grey striped trousers before Andy moves to her vanity to get some accessories.

Opening her jewelry box she chooses a pair of minimalistic silver circle studs to go with her chosen look for the day. Andy starts to search for the perfect neckless to round it all off when she finds an antique silver heart necklace, in the middle of the heart is what looks like a family crest and an ‘R’ engraved in the middle.

Andy looks at the piece of jewelry dangling from her fingers, it is the only thing she has left from her father. Running her fingers over the edged silver for what was probably the millionth time Andy imagined what it would have been liked if he was still alive.

_Would he and her mother still be together? Separated maybe, forcing her to split her vacations and holidays between two homes? Or would he just be the voice on the other end of the phone only calling on her birthday and Christmas?_

Boy, little Andy’s head would have exploded if she only knew that her fantasies should involve castles and tiaras.

After placing the necklace back safely in her jewelry box Andy moves over to the bed. Andy grabs her phone from her nightstand where it had been charging. Andy knows there is something she needs to do, probably should have done it yesterday but like they say ignorance is bliss Hesitating with her thumb over the all too familiar number she takes a deep breath before pressing dial. The phone rings three times, just as Andy was starting to get hope that it will go to voicemail it is answered.

“Andy sweetie what a nice surprise.” The all to cheery voice comes over the line.

“Hi, mom.”

Andy greets keeping her voice down mindful of the sleeping baby in her bed.

“It’s rather early for you to be calling, not that I mind. Is something wrong, is it Emma?”

“No, mom nothing is wrong with Emma she is fine, perfect actually.”

Andy can't help the smile that creeps onto her face looking down at her daughter.

“Oh, thank goodness. Andy, what’s going on you sound troubled?” Of course, her mother would be able to tell something is wrong even from hundreds of miles away.

“I met my grandmother yesterday.”

“What? Granny Sofie?”

“No mom, not granny Sofie. The live one.”

Granny Sofie her mother’s mother died when Andy was fifteen, she never got to meet her stepfather’s mother as she died before he and her mother got married.

“Oh…_oh_.”

“Yes, the one and only Queen Clarisse Renaldi.”

The line is quiet, Andy starts to think her mom hang up on her when her sorrow-filled voice comes over the line again.

“Andy sweetie I’m so _so _sorry you had to find out like this.”

“So, it’s true you always knew who my family was?”

There is a bite to Andy’s voice, a small part of her still believed that her mother had no idea about her heritage.

“Yes, I knew. But-“

“You knew all this time! You knew who my grandmother is, who my father was! And what in 26 years you just never bother to tell me?” Andy hisses over the phone, her build-up anger starting to bubble at the surface.

“I thought I was doing the right thing not telling you. I thought I was protecting you.”

“Protecting me from what exactly?”

“I was young, alone and scared, I just wanted you to have a normal happy childhood without all the family drama.” Her mother pleads with her to understand. “Andy please understand, his parents didn’t approve of our relationship. He was supposed to marry a duchess or countess or some other kind of nobility. The last thing they expected was for the crowned prince to shack up with a broke American artist living in a bachelor apartment and having a baby out of wedlock.”

Andy scoffs falling back onto her bed.

“Is that how you justified it, not wanting to cause a scandal with the prince’s bastard child?”

“Andrea Mignonette Sachs!” Her mother chides her.

Andy shakes her head trying to calm her anger, this was escalating a lot faster than she anticipated not realizing how angry she was about the whole situation.

“My whole life was a lie. I had the right to know who my father was and who I am, you should have told me.”

“I thought I was doing the right thing. Andy, you are a mom now you should understand what it feels like to want to do anything to protect your child even if it means having to lie to them.”

“Oh no, you do not get to bring Emma into this! She has nothing to do with this, and I would never lie to my daughter or keep something like this from her.”

“So, what are you saying? When Emma comes to you one day asking about her father what are you going to do? Are you going to spare her feeling telling her a little white lie or tell her the cold hard truth that she was just a mistake of a drunken one-night stand?”

_Silence._

Andy sits frozen not believing what she just heard.

“Oh my… Andy sweetie I’m sorry I didn’t – “

“I have to go.” Andy interrupts her mother not even caring that her voice cracked at the end.

“Andy, please- “

“Goodbye, mom.”

Andy ends the call quickly before her mother can reply again, fumbling with the phone she turns it off knowing her mother is going to be calling back and in no way ready to deal with that. She drops it with a thud on the nightstand.

Andy closed her eyes tightly, squeezing it so tightly she starts to see lights dance behind her eyelids. But it’s no use as some tears still escape rolling down her cheeks. Focusing rather on her breathing hoping it will calm the storm inside her.

_Breath In. Breath Out. Breath In. Breath Out._

Finally, the tears stop and her heart doesn’t feel like it’s trying to break out of her chest anymore. Slowly she opens her eyes again looking unfocused around the room until her eyes land on a now fully awake little girl looking up at her as she happily sucks on her pacifier.

A warm smile breaks out over Andy’s face, all of the bad disappearing like a puff of smoke at seeing those big brown eyes looking at her. Emma’s soft fine hairs are poking up in every direction evidence of a very good nap. Emma was born with a respectable head of soft blonde hair, most likely the cause of Andy’s hellfire hurt burn for most of her pregnancy.

“Morning baby girl,” Andy says softly caressing Emma’s cheek. Emma babbles something around her pacifier as she happily kicks her legs.

Andy just stays like that for a moment just looking at her happy little girl. Emma really is perfect, no matter what led to her coming into Andy’s life. She wouldn’t change anything because if she did then Emma wouldn’t be _Emma_ and Andy can’t imagine her life without her.

“You must hungry, is this tummy hungry?”

Andy leans forward blowing a raspberry on the girl’s tummy making her squeal in delight and squirming around trying to get away.

“Ma-ma!”

Andy stops her assault and smiles down at the little girl running her hand over her little tummy. Andy looks at the pink and grey onesie Emma has on, the words ‘_mommy’s little princess_’ printed on the front. Andy can’t help but smile if she only knew when she got this onesie how correct that statement was.

Andy is 100% sure if she still worked at _Runway_ Miranda would have had a coronary if she saw the cliché onesie on her daughter. Miranda would have Emma dressed in only the latest baby couture.

“If Miranda had her way you would be the most stylish baby in the whole country,” Andy says out loud to the girl, Emma smiles at her as she pulls her pacifier out of her mouth with a pop almost hitting Andy in the head.

“Wow there, you are a dangerous one this morning. Come on let’s get some food in this tummy.”

With a little tickle to said tummy Andy gets up lifting a giggling Emma with her making their way to the kitchen in search of some food.

By the time she had fed Emma, dressed her and Andy ate a piece of toast in between getting Emma and herself ready she finally looked at her watch and she was so late! Somehow, she went from being awake way too early to running late. Her boss was going to kill her.

She grabs the folders from her kitchen counter putting it inside her messenger bag not wanting to leave her notes at home. Checking she makes sure her laptop and charger are also safely tucked inside. Doing a mental check if she missed anything wallet, keys, Chapstick… but no phone.

She darts to the bedroom finding it still on her nightstand she places the device in her trouser pocket, looking in the mirror she quickly checks her appearance, it's not perfect but it will do for today. On her way back out to the living room she also grabs a sweater for Emma.

Looking through the diaper bag making sure everything is still in there since she last checked it a few minutes ago. Andy tries to figure out a way to get Emma to daycare and make her way to work in record time. Luckily Emma’s daycare is only across the street but she still needs to go subway hoping to get to work. Maybe the subway gods will be on her side today.

“Emma time to go,” Andy says sweetly kneeling next to her daughter’s playmat where she is crawling around, pulling the sweater on with only a slight protest.

Standing back up she brings Emma with her settling her on her hip who is happily babbling away in her baby babbles completely unaware of her mother’s frantic state. Andy picks up Emma’s diaper bag backpack pulling it onto her other shoulder followed by her messenger bag before rushing out of the apartment.

Stumbling her way out of the apartment, too focused on trying to balance the two bags on her shoulder and Emma on her hip, Andy almost walks smack dab into someone outside her door.

“Oh wow, sorry about that.” She says hoping she is giving the man an apologetic smile and already moving around the man.

“Princess Andrea?” A deep voice calls after her making her freeze at the edge of the stairwell.

Turning around slowly Andy looks for the first time at the intimidatingly looking man dressed in all black. It takes her a beat to recognize the man from yesterday, he was one of the guards at the embassy. He stood behind Queen Clarisse the entire time of their meeting.

“Prin-“

Andy holds up her hand effectively stopping the man before he can say the title again. She looks nervously around them seeing if anyone was around to hear the man. Taking a few steps closer to the man to be able to speak to him without having to raise her voice in the hallway.

“Um, it’s just Andy and maybe not use the title please. Especially in public.”

She adds the last part under her breath but he stills hears it and gives a small nod.

“My apologies highness,” Andy flinches but decides to let it go, for now, small victories at a time. “I am Joseph. I was sent by the Que-your grandmother.”

“Why?” Andy asks confused readjusting Emma on her hip.

“As head of the royal security, she has assigned me to watch over you for the remainder of our stay.”

“I don’t need a bodyguard, and I don’t want one either,”

“That may be, but I’m under strict orders to not let you leave my sight. Ms. Charlotte said she would call you and inform you about my arrival today, did she not?”

Andy tries another juggling act to not drop anything and fishes out her phone from her pocket. Greeted by the black screen Andy groans remembering she never turned her phone back on after her little chat with her mother.

“My phone is off. But I’m guessing I’m not going to be able to get rid of you will I?”

Joseph actually gives her a small smile.

“I don’t believe so highness, your grandmother can be very… determined.”

Andy lets out a defeated sigh, looks like she going to have a shadow for the day great just what she needs. She starts to make her way carefully down the stairs knowing that Joseph would be following her. When they make their way outside the building Andy stops dead in her tracks when she sees the shiny black town car parked right in front of the building complete with little Genovian flags on the hood. Way to blend into the crowd.

“I take it that’s your very diplomatic car?”

“Yes, it belongs to the embassy.”

“Are you a good driver?”

“Highness I have driven everything from an army tank to a Segway effortlessly.” He says with a slight smirk puffing out his chest.

Andy studies him for a long moment, then she spins around looking back to the busy street.

“Okay then, come along Joseph. We need to get Emma to daycare and then you can drive me to work through rush hour traffic.

Joseph takes his place next to the princess taking the messenger and diaper bag that is teetering dangerously on her shoulder.

“I know you don’t want my lingering around highness, but if it helps you can call me Joe?”

“How about Joey?” Andy asks with a cheeky smile, Joe smiles before it quickly falls and is replaced with a cold hard face.

“No, just Joe.” With that, he leads mother and daughter across the busy street.

-x-x-

The sound of high heels clicking fast against the office floor as they flee back to the accessories department makes Miranda roll her eyes. Just once she would like it if they didn’t waste her time with being unprepared.

Miranda would do anything for a good scorching hot cup of coffee, she will have to send her second assistant to get her some. On second thought the girl would probably kill herself on the way there, the poor thing needs a lot of guidance in life. But her coffee is not something she is willing to gamble with her first assistant will have to do it.

Her heels move effortlessly and almost completely silent, unlike the clackers, as she moves to stand in front of the large glass windows letting her gaze stretch out over the city outside. Looking from the large buildings to the never-ending sea of cars and people moving around below until she lands on the corner, more specifically the corner where she found Andrea standing yesterday.

Maybe it was just the shock of seeing the young woman again but the lost look on the younger woman’s face is burned into her mind. Andrea always seemed like the type of person who had everything planned out and under control. Miranda had witnessed this many times when she had given the girl some impossible task to perform. She was always too good for _Runway_, to good to be an assistant. Maybe she has always been a royal.

Miranda absentmindedly runs her fingers over the delicate silver chain around her wrist feeling each link under her fingertips. Something about the feeling of the smooth metal she finds soothing.

The soft footfalls of someone entering her office bring her back to reality, she doesn’t need to turn around to see who it is because there is only one person who would be bold enough to enter her office uninvited.

“What do you know about Genovia?” She finds herself asking not turning around.

“The country?” Nigel asks completely thrown by the strange question. “Just the usual stuff you learn in Geography and see in movies and magazines. They have really good pears, they are famous for them actually.”

Miranda just hums in acknowledgment still staring out of the window.

“Why the sudden interest in the small European country?”

Nigel sits down in the chair across from Miranda’s desk.

“We are talking about news events like you suggested,” Miranda says with a dismissive wave of her hand.

Nigel lets out a chuckle of course Miranda would use his words against him. Miranda finally turns around facing the smiling man.

“Are you here for any other reason to annoy me?” She asks sitting down at her desk.

He hands her the folder with the photos of the previous day’s photo shoot. Miranda wordlessly opens the folder starting to critically study the images. Nigel watches her curiously for a few moments.

“So, Andy Sacks?” He asks leaning back into his chair removing imaginary lint from his trouser legs

“Emily Carlton.” Miranda deadpans without missing a beat.

“What?”

“Aren’t we naming my ex-assistants?” Miranda asks flipping to the next set of images.

“Ha ha you are really funny you know that?”

“Yes, I’m hilarious.”

“But seriously are you and Andy secretly friends?”

“Excuse me?”

“I’m just trying to make sense of what happened yesterday. Did something happen is Andy in some kind of trouble?” Nigel asks concern evident in his voice and this makes Miranda stop and look up at the man.

“Nigel, relax Andrea is fine she isn’t in any ‘trouble’.”

“Then what is it? No offense but I never thought you would talk to her again much less show up with her at a photoshoot acting like it’s the most normal thing.”

“Please, Nigel you are being very dramatic.”

“Miranda I was there in Paris when she left, I saw you when you realized she was gone. You were so angry and confused and just lo-“

Nigel stops immediately when Miranda raises her hand silencing him. They may be friends but even Nigel knows when not to disobey Miranda.

“Nigel, I’m going to stop you right there before you start congratulating yourself on psychoanalyzing my broken mental state. If you can remember correctly there was a lot of things happening that week including my husband serving me divorce papers, the imp Irv trying to blindside me by giving away _my_ magazine, I had to give away your dream job to save mine and my assistant left me in the middle of the busiest week in fashion. So, forgive me if I was a little angry and confused.”

Nigel’s shoulders drop in defeat. Miranda looks calm and unbothered on the outside but her tightly closed fist on the table gives her away. Miranda is right of course, she is always right. But Nigel always has and still does feel that Andy’s disappearance had a bigger impact on Miranda then she would ever confess to.

“I’m sorry Miranda you are right, it was one hell of a week.” He says apologetically running a hand over his bald head. “But you have to understand why I find her sudden presence so strange?”

Miranda lets out a breath, clearly Nigel was not going to let this go. Miranda leans back in her chair deciding to give the bald man at least some peace of mind.

“Andrea was having a bad day, she needed someone to help get her mind off of things for a little while.”

“So, she called you?” He asks a little sad that his friend didn’t think of talking to him, he knows they’re not best friends but he still thought they were close.

“She didn’t call anyone,” Miranda says trying to reassure the man, she can already see the question in his eyes. “And before you ask no I’m not going to tell you what happened, Andrea will tell you when she is ready.”

“Okay, I can accept that.”

“She didn’t pick me over you Nigel, the only reason I know is because I was just at the right place at the right time.”

Nigel lets out a chuckle, sure he highly doubts that’s the only reason why Andy confided in the Editor-in-Chief. Then something hits him and he leans forward so fast he almost falls out of the chair.

“Oh, my Gucci.” His eyes brighten even more making Miranda frown at him. “You Miranda Priestly were her Knight in shiny white Prada.”

“Excuse me?” Miranda’s jaw almost drops open at the sudden accusation.

“Don’t deny it you said it yourself you were just helping her, distracting her by being at the right place at the right time. My my Miranda I would never have taken you for the ‘rescuing the fair maiden’ type.”

“Nigel.” Miranda all but growls her warning.

He lifts his hands in surrender, but the smirk is still firmly in place.

“I’m sorry, all I’m saying is that I find it rather… _charming_.”

“Get out.”

-x-x-

Andy runs an exhausted hand over her face feeling a headache starting to form at her temples. She reaches for the mug at the side of her desk and wenches at the horrid taste of cold coffee. Andy has been working nonstop all morning, thankfully both her co-workers are back and she only has her work to worry about today.

Looking out over the bullpen she sees some people hard at work and others already feeling the weekend spirt. Andy looks to the reception area where she can see Joe sitting in one of the visitor’s chair, just sitting, not paging through a magazine or playing on his phone. No, he is just sitting there in all his intimidating glory making everyone around him on edge.

Andy finds this rather amusing especially the way Melanie continuously tries to start a conversation with the man, but each question is just answered with a curt one word before he goes back to observing everyone.

Andy reaches into her bag pulling out her phone seeing it’s still turned off. Turning it on she waits for it to quickly boot up. Once she is at the home screen various icons start to light up indicating 15 new text messages, 2 voice mails and 7 missed calls all from her mother. But there is also an email from Charlotte Kutaway.

Ignoring all the messages from her mother, for now, Andy opens the email being greeted by a proud Genovian seal letterhead. As Andy expected Charlotte informs her about Joe joining her for the foreseeable future as a request from the Queen. Charlotte also goes on to say that the Queen would like to invite her to tea again at the embassy tomorrow morning.

Andy knew this was coming of course, her abrupt exit the previous day only put their talk on hold. There was still a lot they need to talk about, and a lot of questions Andy needs answered.

She quickly replies to Charlotte accepting the Queen's invitation to meet the next day. Hopefully, this meeting will be a little less – shocking. She wonders if Miranda would mind if she calls her if things go bad again.

Speaking of the editor Andy gets an idea, she quickly scrolls through her contacts hoping to still have the number. A big smile breaks out on her face when she finds the number she is looking for and hits dial.

“Hi, its Andy. Yes, Andy Sachs. I’m good and you? Actually, I was wondering if I could ask a big favor? She says chewing nervously on her bottom lip.

She tells her coworkers that she is taking her lunch break then makes her way out to the reception area and over to Joe.

“Come on G.I Joe we have a mission,” Andy says excitedly.

“What kind of mission? Is there going to be danger, am I going to have to kill someone?” Joe stands up straightening his leather jacket.

“Wow, easy there will be no need for killing.”

“If it helps, I have diplomatic immunity,” Joe says with such seriousness it makes Andy pause for a moment. He has to be joking, right?

“Uh… thanks but this is a simple driving mission.” Maybe mission was the wrong choice, she should have rather gone with errand.

“Will I at least get to punch someone?” Joe asks starting to make his way outside with Andy.

“No, there will be no punching, kicking or biting,” Andy says very seriously.

“You Americans are no fun.”

-x-x-

Miranda is strolling out of the Elias-Clarke building in all her fashionable glory, she has a business lunch she needs to get to. She isn’t too excited about the meeting but knows it must be done especially with Irv breathing down her neck again lately. Putting her sunglasses on, her step nearly falters but thanks to years of practice no one notices her miss-step.

From safely behind her sunglasses she observes the princess leaning against a black car. Making her way over to Andy, Miranda lets her eyes roam over the woman not having allowed herself this curtesy the previous day. It appears that her time at _Runway_ didn’t go completely to waste. She may not be wearing couture but she is still looking very fashionable. Her hair is also longer now, her bangs grown out, soft wavy curls cascading over her shoulders and down her back. Her makeup was minimal but done with precision to enhance and not to cover up. Andy looks her happy normal self to any onlooker, but Miranda can see the dark clouds behind her eyes. 

“Hi,” Andy says giving her a small but warm smile as she steps closer to Miranda.

“Andrea, should I be concerned? This is the second day in a row now I find you standing outside my building. Are you becoming a stalker?”

“Oh, please if I wanted to stalk to you I know a lot of better ways then waiting in plain sight,” Andy says with an eye-roll.

“Then pray tell what you are doing here?” Miranda asks with the slightest up tilt to the corners of her mouth conveying her true feelings, it's small but Miranda knows Andrea sees it.

“I was just thinking that since you were so kind as to give me a ride yesterday, I wanted to return the favor.”

“So, you hired a car to drive me to lunch?”

“No, actually the car came with Joe?”

Andy motions for the man standing to the side to join them, he steps closer carefully nodding at the other woman.

“Miranda I would like you to meet Joseph, my royal babysitter. Joe this is Miranda Priestly.”

Miranda narrows her eyes at the man studying him closely and not even trying to hide how she sizes him up.

“Joseph, I take it you work for Andrea’s grandmother?”

“Yes ma’am, I’m the head of her security detail.”

Miranda hums but doesn’t stop her scrutinizing of the man, he doesn’t flinch or back off just stands there back straight, chest out and hands clasped in front of him. After a few tense seconds Miranda nods satisfied.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Joseph.”

He nods opening the car door for them.

“You to Ms. Priestly, and I prefer the term bodyguard rather than babysitter.”

“With Andrea is there any difference?” Miranda deadpans climbing into the car.

“Hey!” Andy says offended but Miranda is already seated on the other side of the car ignoring them.

“I like her,” Joseph says with a smirk.

“Join the club,” Andy mumbles following Miranda into the car.

Joe slides in behind the wheel and Miranda gives him the restaurant’s address as he pulls out into the slow-moving traffic. Miranda just calmly stares out of the window and Andy has to fight her instincts to start fidgeting with her hands. After two blocks Andy finally breaks the silence.

“So, what do you think? Not too bad for a car with little flags on the hood?”

“It’s acceptable.” Miranda deadpans but there is no malice in her tone.

“I guess being a secret royal has some perks.”

Miranda turns away from the window to look at the younger woman. Andy is staring at her hands and she is slightly hunched over like she is trying to make herself smaller.

“You have been crying.” It wasn’t a question.

Andy’s head snaps up, eyes wide in complete surprise.

“Wha- how did you know?”

That was hours ago, Andy had reapplied her makeup and her eyes were no longer red and puffy.

Miranda reaches out touching the collar of Andy’s white shirt. Andy lets out a small gasp at the sudden move not expecting the contact.

“You missed a spot.”

Andy looks down at the place Miranda’s thumb is stroking to find a small black spot where one of her mascara filled tears must have landed. Of course, Miranda has eyes like a hawk she can spot an imperfection from across the room.

“Oh.”

Miranda pulls her hand back slowly dropping it in her lap.

“I talked to my mom this morning,” Andy says swallowing hard and avoiding eye contact.

“I take it it didn’t go well?”

Andy shakes her head sadly.

“No, it didn’t. Turns out she always knew about my grandmother being a Queen but decided to hide it from me. And I know I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life. Hell, you know it better than anyone else. But that doesn’t mean…” Andy lets out a sigh. “Some things were said.”

Miranda doesn’t say anything she just keeps looking at Andy.

“Anyway, maybe it was just my exhausted brain overreacting.”

Miranda goes along with the new direction of conversation sensing Andy still wasn’t ready to talk about exactly what was said between her and her mother to upset her so much.

“You didn’t sleep well, considering the circumstances I’m not surprised.”

“Yeah, and I think Emma sensed it too. She is usually a good sleeper but she woke up four times last night.”

Andy slumps back against the leather seats.

“Ah yes, animals can sense when something is wrong. I remember how Patricia was practically attached to my hip when I found out David cheated on me.”

That is probably the most personal information Miranda has ever gifted Andy with, and it made her heart warm and fuzzy knowing Miranda trusted her with it. But the comment felt out of place and that’s not something she could ever accuse the editor of. Unless…

“Miranda, do you know who Emma is?” Andy asks testing her theory.

Andy has never specifically told Miranda about her daughter, not on purpose they only talked for the first time yesterday. But Andy made no secret of her being a mother either, Nigel and her old _Runway_ friend knew. There was also a lot of pictures of Emma on her social media, so she was in no way trying to hide Emma.

“Yes, she is your dog isn’t she.”

Andy lets out the loudest snort Miranda has ever heard.

“I take it she is not your dog then.”

“No, she’s not a dog. Why would you think that?”

“I’ve heard Nigel talking to Emily and Serena.”

“Okay, first of all, I’m going to have a very serious talk with Nigel and secondly… you know what why don’t I just rather show you.” Andy’s eyes shine with childlike excitement like she was about to tell a big secret she wasn’t supposed to.

“Show me?” Miranda asks unsure.

“Yes, how about tomorrow. Maybe we can meet up somewhere, that is if you want to?”

Andy was suddenly not feeling so confident in her spontaneous proposal anymore.

“The girls are arriving back tomorrow morning from their grandmother’s and I would like to spend some time with them.”

“Oh okay, I understand,” Andy says a little dejected, of course, Miranda would rather spend time with her daughters.

“You could come over to the townhouse in the afternoon?”

Andy looks up at the woman not expecting the offer, but of course Miranda isn’t letting anything slip past her emotionless mask. But Andy still smiles seeing the offer for what it really is, Miranda was allowing her to invade her personal time with her daughters and her home.

“Yeah, that would be perfect actually. I’m meeting with the Queen in the morning anyway.”

“Are you okay with meeting with her again?” Miranda asks with a hint of concern.

“I think I am. I have a better idea of what to expect and I have questions I need answers to.”

“That’s good. You need all the information so you can make an informed decision.”

Andy rubs her forehead.

“This is never I decision I wanted to have to make.” There is a lot of variables she needs to consider; she won't just be making a decision that will change her life but her daughter’s as well.

Miranda can see the fight going on inside the girl’s head.

“Andrea.” She looks up at the older woman. “Whatever you decide, you need to make the right decision for you and not what someone else wants or what you think you should do. I know it isn’t easy, as your decision will affect not only yourself but many others. But in the end, it is still _your_ decision. Even if that means not being a princess, I’ll even give you your old job back if that is what you want.”

Andy gives a slight watery chuckle at that, Miranda was telling her she will support her no matter what. And that meant more to her then the editor will ever know.

“Thank you.” Without thinking, Andy reaches over taking Miranda’s hand squeezing it before letting go again. “How do you do that?”

“Do what?” Miranda asks after clearing her throat.

“Know the right thing to say.”

“Oh please, Andrea you should know by now that I don’t do anything if it's not perfect,” Miranda says with a dismissive wave of her hand but there is a smirk on her face.

It is such a Miranda response that Andy can't help but smile. Deciding that they have had enough of the deep stuff Andy tries to lighten the mood.

“How are the girls?”

“They are wonderful,” Miranda says with one of her rare warm smiles. “They are having a wonderful time with at the beach house, my phone’s memory is almost completely filled with beach photos but luckily most of them are in focus.”

“They did always love the beach.”

They are broken out of their little bubble when Joe pulls up to the curb and announces their arrival, Andy can't help feeling a little sad that their time together has come to an end. Luckily she can look forward to spending tomorrow afternoon with Miranda and the twins.

“Should I be expecting Roy to pick me up or have you so graciously given him the afternoon off?”

“Roy will be picking you up later, unfortunately, I have to head back to work my lunch break is almost over.”

“You spend your lunch break chauffeuring me around?”

“Actually, Joe did the chauffeuring I just sat here in the back enjoying the company,” Andy says with a big cheeky smile.

“Hmm.”

Joe opens the door for the editor.

“So, I’ll see you tomorrow then?” Andy couldn’t help but ask still not believing Miranda agreed to meet with her again

“Yes, I expect you not to be late.”

With that, she slides on her sunglasses again and exits the car.

“But we didn’t agree on a time!”

Andy’s words fall onto deaf ears as Miranda is already making her way swiftly into the restaurant. She waits until Miranda has completely disappeared before she tells Joe to head back.

“Your friend is…. Interesting.”

Andy snorts.

“Yeah that she is. Let’s just say I used to work for a queen too.”

“You were employed by Ms. Priestly?”

“I was, for almost a year I was her assistant well her second assistant.”

“She needs two assistants?”

“Believe me she does. Hey Joe, why the sudden interest in Miranda?” Andy couldn’t help but ask.

“My job is to protect the crown, that includes the crown’s physical state as well as emotions.”

“Well, you can stand down Joe. Miranda won’t hurt me.” It’s probably the surest she has sounded about anything in two days.

She looks up to see Joe eyeing her suspiciously in the rear-view mirror.

“Seriously Joe, it's rather her that needs protecting from me,” Andy says sadly lowering her head to look at her fidgeting fingers. Miranda may never admit it, but Andy knows she hurt her ex-boss by leaving her alone in Paris without so much as a word.

“Princess.” Andy still flinches at the title but nevertheless looks up at the man. “Would you like me to get you some food before we return?”

“Only if you will share some nuggets with me?”

“Nuggets?”

“Hey, don’t judge me, I have a nine-month-old I need food I can eat with one hand.” Joe smiles at her.

“Then nuggets it is.”

Andy gives him a grateful smile before she turns her head to stare out the window. Tomorrow is going to be an interesting day.


End file.
